Archive for July, 2009
You can implement Poka-Yoke
Posted by: | CommentsThese are the the tools I use for Poka-Yoke Implementation. It will make you as “Smart as a 5th Grader.” Yes, this is not rocket scientist stuff. It is easy and simple. Now, these methods alone will not get you to Six Sigma Quality levels but they will start you on the path of continuous and measured improvement. So what are the tools?
The first tool I use may not be considered a tool at all, it is a mind set, This is NOT WHAT to DO. I keep this diagram around and embed it in most of things that are printed. It is very simple but the key to making a successful Poka-Yoke campaign.
The Fishbone Diagram is a graphical compilation used to identify and explore the possible causes which lead to a given mistake. The ultimate aim is to work down through the causes to identify basic root causes of a problem. Related Blog Post.
Organize your mistakes(errors) and group them according to the Matrix. This will simplify the selection process on what mistake to tackle first.
I also have a list of Common Red Flag Conditions. These are quick places to look to assist you in finding the reason for the defect. You could maybe determine these to be your first “WHY” in your search for the root cause. The only thing I would warn you is not to jump to a conclusion. Insert a few these into your fishbone and go through the steps. Use at a brainstorming session to get those ideas flowing.
- Frequent changes to a job
- Complex processes
- Lack of Standards
- Lack of measurement systems
- Lack of training
- Long cycle times
- Infrequent jobs
- High output
- Environmental conditions
- Attitude ( Motivation)
The one tool that I left is the project sheet. We will start completing the components of this in the next blog and start creating a Poka-Yoke process in it’s entirety.
Marketing with Lean concentrate on Mura and Muri
Posted by: | CommentsRecently, after reviewing the Duct tape Marketing Blog, I was thinking about what John had said: Sometimes the Secret to Marketing is Just Being There. I wholeheartedly agreed with him, and wonder why there is such a lack of consistency in most people’s marketing, including my own.
Most people that are familiar with Lean understand the term “Muda” which signifies waste. It has been popularized by the popular use of the 5-S which is used to create a clean, ordered and disciplined work environment. If you think you could use it, just look at your desk!
What I wanted to discuss was the other two M’s that are often overlooked and somewhat unknown except to true Lean Practitioners. The two terms are Mura and Muri. Mura is usually translated as inconsistency and Muri translates as overburden. These two terms may be a significant factor on the reasons that we are prevented from “Just Being There.” Muri (overburden) could also be defined as unreasonable or impossible. I would question people on how much they are asking out of their marketing. Typically, people are event driven and that is the main thrust of their marketing. Being in the community where their customers are may be a secondary function. They look at the better and more spectacular the event the more they will get out of it. This thought process is getting more and more difficult to pull off. The bar has been significantly raised in recent times as there have become fewer and fewer customers. Being there is a better alternative. I am not saying remove the events but what I am saying is to create events that your typical day in and day out customers will appreciate. Don’t be only trying to get new customers, leave your base grown from your existing traffic. The other term I discussed was Mura translated as inconsistency. How consistent is your marketing. Does your e-zine go out regularly? Are you consistently sending out your direct mail, or other advertising? Do you have a consistent theme in your marketing that builds continuously on the last message? Is online and offline presence integrated with each so that a consistent message
is used? I believe Mura may be the single biggest reason that marketing fails. Looking at these two M’s you can see how quickly how your marketing can be improved. Lean marketing can quickly accelerate your marketing efforts. Simple tactics using a tool like a process matrix can give a quick evaluation of your marketing efforts. Try this: 
Here is the point: Isolate the consistent from the true inconsistent Establish a routine process to do routine things in a routine way. Just be there. P.S. You may still have exceptions, just realize that and process them accordingly.
Are Marketing Mistakes inevitable?
Posted by: | CommentsThese are the two basic paths that we could assume in our path to perfection. You can look at the fact that people will always make mistakes and therefore we must accept defects. We set up final inspection or checklist or just wait and see if the customer notices it. Or we can take the attitude that all mistakes can be eliminated by proper training and prevention. I prefer the latter.
Mistakes happen for many reasons, but almost all can be prevented if we take the time to identify when and why they happen. Let’s take the time to define some terms before we start. A mini-project charter per say. Mistakes(errors) are any non-conformity(deviation) passed to the next stage or worse yet, does not meet the customers expectation. A defect is the result of these mistakes.
Many companies will wait for the final product to sample for mistakes and a certain percentage of rejec
ts is acceptable. Other will do 100% inspection. But from a marketing standpoint, use direct mail as an example, how do you do that? The production of the direct mail piece itself may be measurable but the can you Poka-yoke the response? What response rate is acceptable or what you would call defective or broken? We will tackle this conversation in future posts but for now, let’s find out some suggestions on how to error proof a process.
The basic functions of Poka-yoke control are stop doing it(shutdown), control(make adjustments) and warning(red flags occurring). Maybe, more important, is the two terms, prediction and recognition. Prediction states that something is about to occur and recognition is something has occurred. The closer the source to the mistake that it is discovered the less costly is the problem. The whole point of Poka-yoke and as you instill the process detection, this will drive better feedback which generates the proper actions. This is a continuous process that once installed continues on and on.
